Buckle for sealing mail-bags, &amp;c.



PA'TENTED' JULY 7, 1903.,

J. ANSGHAU'.

BUCKLE FOR SEALING MAIL BAGS, 6w.

A PPLIOATION FILED 001. 22, 1901.

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UNITED Q PATENT Patented July 7, 1903.

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BQUCKLEfFOR SEALING MAIL-BAGS, are

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 733,1 16, dated July 7, 1903.

Application filed October 22, 1901. Serial No- 79,556. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN ANSCHAU, postmaster, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing atGlen Innes, in the State of New SouthWa-lesfin theOommonwealth of Australia,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBuck'les for Sealing Mail-Bags and the Like; and I do herebydeclare that thefollowingisafull,clear,

and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relate's to that class of hue kles used for sealing mail-bags, sample-boxes, and the like; and its objectis to provide abuckle which can be effectively sealed Without the use of wax. 'In those buckles now used for this purpose the delay and expense in adjusting the seal and removing the old wax from its bed and the frequent breaking of thewax seal during transithave proved such serious objections to their use as to oral adoption.

The essential feature of my invention is a slip of paper,cardboard, or other suitable material (hereinafter called the seal carrying a light metal strip adapted to on the frame of the buckle, as hereinafer de scribed. The seal is arranged to overlie the tongue of the buckle in such a way that the strap. which is engaged with the buckle can= not be removed therefrom without destroying the seal.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of buckle. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same. Fig. 3 is a plan. Fig.4 is a section through line p q, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan of upper face of seal. Fig. 6 is a plan of under side of seal. Fig. 7 is aside elevation of seal. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the metal strip. Fig. 9 is a plan of under side of same. Figs. 10 to 16 show a modification of my invention. Fig. 10 is a side elevation. Fig. 11 is a'section through line any of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a plan ofseal. Fig. 13 is a vertical section showing seal in position. Fig. 14is a side elevation of metal strip. Fig. Fig. 16 is a plan View showing seal in position. a is frame of buckle. b b are side brackets supporting cross-bar ;is turned led tagor clip, ing out a portion of the body of the metal strip g. This clip is also passed through the prevent their gen I seal and turnedover similarly to g.

(1, carrying tongue c, the free end of which rests on sloping face a of the front bar of buckle-frame.

e is strap fastened to cross-bar in the usual views of the seal, f is seal consisting of a slip of cardboard or other suitable material shaped so as to pass through the aperture a and fill up the space provided for it within the'buckle-frame.

(Indicated by the dotted .lines in Fig. 3.) The upper face of the seal would hear the signature; date, stamp, or other identifying device. 9 is metal strip se cured to the under face of the seal. g is end of strip g, which passes through the seal and g is pointover on its upper face.

preferably formed by stampg is metal 9 g are vertical guidespring formed by bending the end of strip g, as shown.

pieces on either side of spring g engage a catch 1 It may be deemed advisable to cover the metal strip underlying the'seal with a sheet of paper or other covering, so that the said m'etalstrip would be practically embedded within the seal. a

When inserting the seal within the buckleframe, the vertical guides g g pass through the slots a a in the front bar of the frame and finally rest in the slots a a on either side of the angular recess or, provided to receive and retain the springg When the seal has been inserted, it is obvious that it cannot be removed "without sufficient force being used to destroy it, for the spring 9 has descended'into the angular recess a and there is no means of removing it without tearing the metal strip 9 away from .theseal. To break the seal for the purpose of releasing the tongue 0 underlying it, the exposedend g of the metal stripis gripped bya pair of pincers or other appliance and dragged forward, (toward the spring end,) thus ripping the seal from end to end and releasing the metal strip from connection therewith.

There are many useful modifications in the construction of my seal, all of which embody the same principle. One of the most efiective is that shown in Figs. to 16, wherein a raised angular catch a is substituted for the angular recess a and a corresponding alteration made in the form of the metal strip attached to the'seal. In this construction the strip projects beyond the cardboard and in lieu of the spring 9 and guides g g is provided with a narrow slit 9, which engages theraised catch a, as shown in Figs. 13 and 16. p g is a shoulder formed by bending or folding the metal strip and is provided for the purpose of preventing any attempt to prize the spring clear of the catch. A is a raised dome (integral with the buckle-frame) covering the raised catch'a. a is a slot cut in buckle-frame to provide a clear way for the passage of the raised shoulder 9 The method of sealing and opening of the buckle in this construction is similar to that previously described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described comprising a suitable frame having a seal-space, a tearable seal fitting in said space and thereby housed within said frame, and a reinforcement attached to the seal and interlocked with the frame, whereby the withdrawal of the seal from the frame mutilates the seal and leavesthe reinforcement in engagement with the frame.

2. A device of the class described comprising a suitable frame having a shoulder, a tearable seal housed within said frame, and a reinforcement attached to the seal and provided with a tongue which is adapted to interlock with the shoulder of the frame.

3. Adevice of the class described comprising a suitable frame having a sealway, a tearable seal fitted at its edge portions in said way and adapted to be housed in the frame, and a narrow reinforcement provided with spurs which are fastened to the seal, said reinforcement having interlocking engagement with the frame.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a tearable seal fitted at its edge portions in the frame and housed therein, and a narrow reinforcement attached to the seal between the portions which are seated in the frame, said reinforcement having interlocking engagement with the frame and independent of the seal.

5. A device of the class described, comprisinga suitable frame having a seal-guideway, a seal fitting said guideway, a reinforcement attached to the seal and having a projection, and another projection disposed on the frame in the path of the projection on the reinforcement, one of said projections being adapted to yield or give with respect to the other in the assemblage of the parts.

' 6. A device of the class described, comprising a frame having a'guideway, a tearable seal, a reinforcement attached to the seal and of less width than the same, and a locking device projecting from the frame and engaging with one of said parts, said seal adapted to be mutilated by the reinforcement when dislodging the seal from the frame.

7. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a looking-shoulder, a seal received in said frame, and a reinforcing-strip provided with a tongue, said strip being attached to the seal and arranged for its tongue to lock with the shoulder.

8. A device of the class described comprising a buckle-frame having a strap-tongue, a seal fitted to the frame and lying in the path of said strap-tongue, and a reinforcement connected to the seal between the edges thereof, and interlocked to the frame.

In witness whereof I have hereuntoaffixed my signature, this 25th day of January, 1901, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ANSOHAU.

Witnesses:

T. O. ALLEN, WALTER SIGUIONT. 

